Return rapid test kits: The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) on Monday issued a revised advisory to the state governments concerning Rapid Antibody Blood tests for Coronavirus infection and asked them to stop using kits from two Chinese companies.

As per the reports and ICMR statement, rapid antibody test kits procured from China-based Guangzhou Wondfo Biotech and Zhuhai Livzon Diagnostics have conflicting results.

Issuing a revised advisory to state governments, the ICMR said it has written the state governments to stop using Guangzhou Wondfo Biotech and Zhuhai Livzon Diagnostics kits.

The statement came after several states raised concerns over the performance of tests during the exercise that they undertook. The Health Ministry also clarified that no payment has been made by ICMR to the companies whose testing kits were found to be faulty.

The apex medical research body also asked the states to return the test kits so that it can be to be sent back to the suppliers.

The ICMR had ordered more than half a million kits for testing for antibodies to coronavirus from China this month as a way to ramp up India’s screening.

Meanwhile, the Union government today released a fact sheet on rapid antibody test kits procured from the Chinese forms Guangzhou Wondfo Biotech, Zhuhai Livzon Diagnostics, news agency ANI reported.

The government said the ICMR hasn’t made any payment whatsoever in respect to these supplies. Because of due process followed (not going for procurement with 100% advance amount), the Government of India doesn’t stand to lose a single rupee.

Lav Aggarwal, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Health said India has sufficient amount of kits as far as the RT PCR test is concerned. Not only a sufficient amount of kits are available but we have also parallelly ensured geographical adequacy.

Meanwhile, India’s novel coronavirus count has shot past 28,000 after the country recorded 1,463 fresh cases in the last 24 hours amid the 40-day lockdown period, which is now in its final week.